Height adjustable support surface and system for encouraging human movement and promoting wellness

• US 10,206,498 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2017
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Labrosse, Jean-Paul, Chu, Michael Xinjie, Sullivan, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Troy, Daniel J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ayres, Timothy M
• Application Number:
  US15/610,920
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 108 5002, 108147, 108 20- 22, 3123301, 3123195-3199
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 17/02 with vertically-adjustable parts
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2097/003 Cable holders; cable organisers
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/02 with vertical adjustable parts
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/06 characterised by means for holding, fastening or concealing cables
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0054 with three telescopic parts
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0056 with a motor, e.g. an electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0061 Height-adjustable desk, electronically regulated with no mechanical link between the legs
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0062 Electronically user-adaptable, height-adjustable desk or table
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 9/00 Tables with tops of variable height lecterns with variable height A47B19/06; school forms or desks with variable height A47B39/02, A47B41/02; seats with variable height A47C3/20
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 9/20 Telescopic guides
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 97/00 Furniture or accessories for furniture, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/01 for supporting or guiding the pipes, cables or protective tubing, between relatively movable points, e.g. movable channels
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/416 characterised by control of velocity, acceleration or deceleration G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24015 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35491 Workpiece date display, position, height
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/003 Repetitive work cycles; Sequence of movements
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a height adjustable workstation that includes a worktop supported by a frame, a processor, and a vertical displacement drive mechanism controllable by the processor to change the elevation of the worktop to different worktop elevation positions, the method comprising the steps of sensing the presence of a workstation user within a space associated with the workstation, tracking the duration of time that the worktop is in at least a first position while a user is within the space associated with the workstation and providing the user with a reminder to change the current position of the worktop to another position when the tracked duration of time reaches a threshold level by driving the worktop through at least one vertical displacement that is perceptible to the workstation user.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a height adjustable workstation that includes a worktop supported by a frame, a processor, at least one input control and a vertical displacement drive mechanism, the at least one user input control for receiving manual direct user input from a workstation user to activate the drive mechanism to change the elevation of the worktop to different worktop elevation positions, the method comprising the steps of:

without user input through the at least one input control, sensing the presence of a workstation user within a space associated with the workstation;

tracking substantially an entire duration of time that the worktop is in a sitting position while the user is present within the space associated with the workstation during an ongoing period of time; and

when the tracked duration of time reaches a threshold period, without user input through the at least one input control, controlling the drive mechanism to provide a reminder to the user that the worktop height should be changed from the sitting position to a standing position, the reminder provided by controlling the drive mechanism to move the worktop through at least one vertical displacement sequence to a position other than the standing position wherein the range of the sequence is no greater than 5 inches, the displacement sequence includes at least one of an upward displacement and a downward displacement, at the end of the displacement sequence the worktop height is within one inch of the sitting position, wherein the duration of the at least one of an upward displacement and a downward displacement is less than 5 seconds, wherein the ongoing period of time is at least 30 minutes and wherein the displacement sequence is substantially continuous.

2. The method of claim 1 further including receiving an acknowledgement of the reminder via the at least one input control from the workstation user.

3. The method of claim 2 further including, upon receiving the acknowledgement, changing the height of the worktop from the sitting position to the standing position.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the acknowledgement includes the user continually activating the at least one input control until the worktop is moved from the sitting position to the standing position.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of receiving an acknowledgement includes detecting a pre-established tactile gesture applied to the at least one input control.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the worktop movement indicates the occurrence of a scheduled worktop height adjustment event at which time the worktop height should be adjusted from the sitting position to the standing position.

7. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of performing a height-adjustment schedule program that tracks sit and stand periods at the workstation and periodically provides height adjustment reminders to change from a sitting to a standing position after scheduled periods of sitting and from a standing to a sitting position after a scheduled periods of standing.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the cycle frequency is twelve cycles per minute or greater.

9. A method for controlling a height adjustable workstation that includes a worktop supported by a frame, a processor, at least one input control and a vertical displacement drive mechanism, the at least one user input control for receiving manual direct user input from a workstation user to activate the drive mechanism to change the elevation of the worktop to different worktop elevation positions, the method comprising the steps of:

without user input through the at least one input control, sensing the presence of a workstation user within a space associated with the workstation;

tracking substantially an entire duration of time that the worktop is in a sitting position while the user is present within the space associated with the workstation during an ongoing period of time; and

when the tracked duration of time reaches a threshold period, without user input through the at least one input control, controlling the drive mechanism to provide a reminder to the user that the worktop height should be changed from the sitting position to a standing position, the reminder provided by controlling the drive mechanism to move the worktop through at least one vertical displacement sequence to a position other than the standing position wherein the range of the sequence is no greater than 5 inches, the displacement sequence includes at least one of an upward displacement and a downward displacement, at the end of the displacement sequence the worktop height is within one inch of the sitting position, wherein the duration of the at least one of an upward displacement and a downward displacement is less than 5 seconds, wherein the step of moving the worktop through at least one vertical displacement sequence includes driving the worktop substantially continuously up and down again through at least one vertical cycle wherein the cycle amplitude is less that or equivalent to five inches.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the cycle amplitude is within a range that is less than or equivalent to one inch.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the second of the upward displacement and the downward displacement commences within less than five seconds of the end of completion of the first of the upward displacement and the downward displacement.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the duration of the upward displacement is at least one and two thirds seconds.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the ongoing period of time is at least 30 minutes and wherein the displacement sequence is substantially continuous.

14. A method for controlling a height adjustable workstation that includes a worktop supported by a frame, a processor, at least one input control and a vertical displacement drive mechanism, the at least one user input control for receiving manual direct user input from a workstation user to activate the drive mechanism to change the elevation of the worktop to different worktop elevation positions, the method comprising the steps of:

without user input through the at least one input control, sensing the presence of a workstation user within a space associated with the workstation;

tracking substantially an entire duration of time that the worktop is in a sitting position while the user is present within the space associated with the workstation during an ongoing period of time; and

when the tracked duration of time reaches a threshold period, without user input through the at least one input control, controlling the drive mechanism to provide a reminder to the user that the worktop height should be changed from the sitting position to a standing position, the reminder provided by controlling the drive mechanism to move the worktop through at least one vertical displacement sequence to a position other than the standing position wherein the range of the sequence is no greater than 5 inches, the displacement sequence includes at least one of an upward displacement and a downward displacement, at the end of the displacement sequence the worktop height is within one inch of the sitting position, wherein the duration of the at least one of an upward displacement and a downward displacement is less than 5 seconds, further including sensing user vacancy at the workstation, the step of tracking the duration of time including excluding time when the workstation is vacant.

15. A method for controlling a height adjustable workstation that includes a worktop supported by a frame, a processor, at least one input control and a vertical displacement drive mechanism, the at least one user input control for receiving manual direct user input from a workstation user to activate the drive mechanism to change the elevation of the worktop to different worktop elevation positions, the method comprising the steps of:

without user input through the at least one input control, sensing the presence of a workstation user within a space associated with the workstation;

tracking substantially an entire duration of time that the worktop is in a sitting position while the user is present within the space associated with the workstation during an ongoing period of time; and

when the tracked duration of time reaches a threshold period, without user input through the at least one input control, controlling the drive mechanism to provide a reminder to the user that the worktop height should be changed from the sitting position to a standing position, the reminder provided by controlling the drive mechanism to move the worktop through at least one vertical displacement sequence to a position other than the standing position wherein the range of the sequence is no greater than 5 inches, the displacement sequence includes at least one of an upward displacement and a downward displacement, at the end of the displacement sequence the worktop height is within one inch of the sitting position, wherein the duration of the at least one of an upward displacement and a downward displacement is less than 5 seconds, wherein the drive mechanism is controlled so that the displacement sequence causes the worktop to vibrate.

16. A method for controlling a height adjustable workstation that includes a worktop supported by a frame, a processor, at least one user input control and at least one integrated workstation subassembly, the worktop having an upper worksurface, the integrated workstation subassembly physically integrated into the workstation at a location below the upper worksurface, the at least one user input control for receiving a user input from a workstation user to control the drive mechanism to change the elevation of the worktop to a different worktop elevation positions, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a goal for a workstation user using the workstation wherein the goal is related to the amount of time that the worktop is in at least a first height position relative to other height positions;

tracking the duration of time that the worktop is in the first position;

using the goal and tracked duration of time to identify at least one time at which the workstation user should change the position of the worktop; and

at the identified time, without receiving any user input through the at least one input control, controlling the at least one integrated workstation subassembly to vibrate the worktop to remind the workstation user to change the worktop elevation position from a current position to another position;

wherein the workstation includes a displacement drive mechanism for manually moving the worktop to different elevation positions and wherein the step of vibrating the worktop includes causing the vertical displacement drive mechanism to rapidly move the worktop up and down over a small range of motion.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of vibrating the worktop includes quickly driving the worktop up and down again through a plurality of vertical cycles wherein the cycle amplitude is a fraction of an inch.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the cycle amplitude is substantially 1/10th of an inch.

19. The method of claim 18 further including receiving an acknowledgement of the reminder from the workstation user and wherein the vibration continues until the user acknowledgement is received.

20. The method of claim 19 further including, upon receiving an acknowledgement, changing the height of the worktop from a current one of a first standing position and a first sitting position to the other of the first standing position and the first sitting position.

21. The method of claim 16 further including, in response to the reminder, receiving user input confirming that the worktop should be moved to a second position and, upon receiving the confirming user input, moving the worktop to the second position.